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Thu, Mar

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DEXTER SKEENE, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the TT Pro League, is hopeful that the top local football league can become “one of the best professional leagues in the CONCACAF region.”

Speaking at Wednesday’s launch of the 2013 Digicel Pro Bowl tournament at the Digicel Corporate Box, Queen’s Park Oval, Skeene noted, “the League has not only survived it has thrived.”

He said, “key performance indicators show that our clubs are the best in the Caribbean region by winning the CFU (Caribbean Football Union) Club Championships and as a result, they have qualified for the CONCACAF club championships.

“Another factor is the competitiveness of the Digicel TT Pro League,” he continued. “On the penultimate day of matches, two clubs Defence Force and Caledonia AIA were still in line to win the League competition and on the last day, third place was still up for grabs with Central FC and North East Stars in the running.

“Let me officially congratulate the Defence Force on winning the League and Central FC for a very good performance in their first year.”

Skeene also touched on the marketability of players and performance at the national level.

“We have seen an unprecedented movement of players to foreign clubs during the past year which signifies that the management of our clubs has improved in the business of professional football and are equipping themselves with the necessary skills and personnel to run a successful professional football business,” he said. “The League provides the platform for the next generation of national footballers and coaches.

“Our young coaches are making a name for themselves in the person of people like Ross Russell, Marvin Gordon, Angus Eve, Earl Jean, Richard Hood and Dean Pacheco. The Digicel TT Pro League has afforded these young men the opportunity to work in a professional environment day in day out honing their skills like the Fergusons and Mourinhos of the world.

“In addition, our local players continue to play a major part having been selected for the Trinidad and Tobago teams forming a major part of the nucleus.”

He also touched on the sponsorship factor, stating, “the amount of partners continue to grow, but our current corporate partners can rest assured that the League’s view is one of exclusivity.

“We want to make sure that we build relationships with corporate partners and afford them the brand platform to meet their strategic objectives,” continued the ex-TT striker. “This is to say that our existing partners have treated the league with respect. We will certainly discuss with our current partners the mutually beneficial opportunities.”